October 2007

Peer to Peer –
Better Turf Through Networking
By Mark Gagne
In an effort to expand on the content of
turf management related information in
The Newsletter, we are attempting to
start a regular feature that will be patterned after the long running series,
“The Super Speaks Out”. In the spirit
of networking and sharing information,
experiences and ideas, several of our
superintendent members have offered
their insights on topics that may be of
current interest. This month, we queried Pat Daley of Framingham Country
Club, David Mucciarone of Woodland
Golf Club and Eric Richardson of Essex County Club.
Earthworms
Have your greens, tees or fairways
been affected by worm castings this
year and if so, what if any measures
have you taken to control them? How
would you evaluate the success of any
measures taken?
Pat Daly:
We have had issues with four of our
fairways. We have discussed topdressing fairways but the cost is an
issue.
David Mucciarone:
Up until about 4 years ago we had an
earthworm problem on our greens that
went away as we increased our topdressing. This fall, I have five fairways with worm castings, in the same
places as previous years. We try to
drag the castings before mowing and
that does help somewhat. We also
mow fairways 6 days a week up to mid

-October and I think the effects of the
castings would be worse if we weren’t
mowing that frequently.
Eric Richardson:
Earthworms and their castings have hit
our fairways hard for last 4 weeks. We
do not take any measures to control
them. We decided to skip our planned
mid- September fairway aerification
due to drought conditions, so the
worms are aerating our turf the natural
way right now.
Winter Preparation
Do you plan to do anything new or different this year to prepare your turf for
the winter?
Pat Daly:
We have increased the fertility of rough
surrounds and traffic areas. Our
sprays for snow mold will remain unchanged from years past. I am considering an application of Barricade in
roughs for the control of crabgrass for
next year.
David Mucciarone:
We came out of the winter in great
condition this year, so I don’t plan to do
anything differently. We cover all the
greens and tees using 3 Greenjackets
and the rest with Evergreen covers.
We let the greens get a little hairy,
mowing them for the last time in mid
November. Then we deep tine aerify
the greens at the end of November.
For snow mold control, we treat the
greens with Insignia/Daconil/Signature,

followed by a light rate of Anderson’s
Fungicide IX just prior to covering them
in December. The tees are treated
with Insignia/Daconil and then Lesco
Revere just prior to covering. Fairways are treated with Lesco Revere as
late as I can – last year it was in December. I haven’t seen great results
from burying the greens with sand in
the fall. I’d rather topdress greens
heavily in the spring.
Eric Richardson:
This being my first year at Essex, I am
sticking to the basics as far as winter
preparation is concerned. We have
raised our height of cuts across the
board to increase leaf tissue going into
the winter. We will also spray a lot of
iron to maximize photosynthesis and
help the plants become as healthy as
possible. My main concerns for winter
injury are dessication from the wind
given our location and crown hydration. I am somewhat skeptical of
heavy topdressing practices before
winter. I will be covering 6 greens this
year, some with the Evergreen cover
and some with the Greenjacket. Next
year, we will start covering all 19
greens. We are hosting the 2010 Curtis Cup in the month of June, and we
can’t afford to incur any damage that
winter.

Continued on page 2

PRESIDENT
Russell E. Heller, CGCS
41 Clifford Street, Melrose, MA. 02176-0140
617-983-2786 Fax: 617-983-2786
E-mail: Rheller@gcsane.org
Franklin Park Golf Club

VICE PRESIDENT
Patrick J. Daly, CGCS
P.O. Box 2284, Framingham, MA 01703-2284
508-872-9790 Fax: 508-872-5393
E-mail: Pat@framinghamcc.com
Framingham Country Club

SECRETARY
Jason S. Adams
27 Cherry Street, Wrentham, MA 02093
781-326-3801 Fax: 781-326-3801
E-mail: Norfolksuper@hotmail.com
Norfolk Golf Club
TREASURER
Michael W. Stachowicz
68 Westfield Road, Westwood, MA 02090
781-326-7860 Fax: 781-326-0664
E-mail: Mstach@dedhamclub.org
Dedham Country & Polo Club
TRUSTEE
Scott Lagana, CGCS
22 Sherborne Circle, Ashland, MA 01721
978-342-6451 Fax: 978-342-0421
E-mail: Grounds@oakhillcc.org
Oak Hill Country Club
TRUSTEE
Peter Hasak
154 Tedesco Street, Marblehead, MA 01945
781-592-5764 Fax: 781-631-6530
E-mail: PHasak@tedescocc.org
Tedesco Country Club
TRUSTEE
Ronald P. Dobosz
P.O. Box 541, Ludlow, MA 01056
413-589-9487 Fax: 413-583-4686
E-Mail: Rdobosz111@aol.com
Ludlow Country Club
FINANCE CHAIRMAN
Michael Luccini, CGCS
10 Griffin Road, Franklin, MA 02038
508-520-3615 Fax: 508-528-1885
E-mail: Mluccini@verizon.net
Franklin Country Club
GOLF CHAIRMAN
James A. Small, III, CGCS
690 Pine Street, Bridgewater, MA 02324-2116
508-697-4816 Fax: 508-279-3355
E-mail: jasiii188@yahoo.com
Olde Scotland Links Golf Club
EDUCATION CHAIRMAN
David Stowe, CGCS
30 Western Avenue, Natick, MA 01760
617-789-4631 Fax 617-789-4631
E-mail:Newtonmaint@aol.com
Newton Commonwealth Golf Club
NEWSLETTER CHAIRMAN
Mark Gagne
233 Baker Street, Walpole, MA 02081
508-668-3859 Fax: 508-668-9969
E-mail:Mgagne@walpolecc.org
Walpole Country Club
PAST PRESIDENT
Michael J. Hermanson
140 Ryan Street, Gardner, MA 01440-0145
978-632-2713 Fax: 978-632-2713
E-mail: herm068@hotmail.com
Gardner Municipal Golf Course
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Sharon K. Brownell
P.O. Box 566, Mattapoisett, MA 02739-0566
508-758-6474 Fax: 508-758-3688
E-mail: Sbrownell@verizon.net
GCSANE Headquarters
300 Arnold Palmer Blvd., Norton, MA 02766
Tel: (800) 833-4451 Fax: (508) 758-6474
Web Site: www.gcsane.org
Newsletter Committee
Julie Heston, Business Manager
Phone: (401) 934-3677 Email: jheston@verizon.net
John Eggleston, Kernwood Country Club
Andrew Eick, The Kittansett Club
Rich Gagnon, Segregansett Country Club
Ethan Tease, Woodland Golf Club
Mark Gagne, Editor, Walpole Country Club
Any opinions expressed in this publication are those of the
author and/or person quoted, and may not represent the
position of GCSANE. Information contained in this publication may be used freely, in whole or in part, without special
permission as long as the true context is maintained. We
would appreciate a credit line.

Peer to Peer - continued from page 1

Late Fall/Dormant Fertilization
Do you make a “late fall” or “dormant”
fertilizer application and if so, to what
areas, timing, material and rates?
Pat Daly:
We late fall fertilize with an organic
material - SeaBlend 12-4-5 at 0.5 # N
on greens, tees, and fairways in conjunction with aerification in late September into October. We are using 1824-12 for rough surrounds and rough
traffic areas as a late fall fertilizer in
October at 0.5 # N. We will typically
apply 0-0-30 on greens for 3 applications at 0.25 # K in the fall. I am considering applying a 0-0-50 on fairways
at 0.5 # K this fall.
David Mucciarone:
We aerate the roughs in October and
follow that up with an application of
Lesco’s 21-3-21 at .75 #N. For tees
and fairways, we make an application
in early October of Par Ex 26-3-13
at .75#N. We continue to spoon feed
the greens until early November when
we apply Harrell’s 18-2-24 with UMaxx
at .5#N.
Eric Richardson:
We will fertilize our greens and grass
tennis courts when the top growth
shuts down but there is still active root
growth, to build up carbohydrate reserves going into the winter. The town
restricts the amount of Nitrogen that
we can apply to the fairways, so we
are limited to applications during the
growing season. I plan to use a Lebanon Country Club product at .5#N. I
have a unique situation here in that
every fertilizer and pesticide application and the material used for the application must be cleared first by town
officials.
Growth Regulators
Do you use growth regulators on your
greens and if so, with what materials,
rates and frequency? How would you
evaluate your results this year and do
you plan anything different next year?
Pat Daly:
We have been using Primo at 0.10.125 oz. on greens throughout the
season. Our last application was in
the middle of October and is timed to
peter out when we aerify greens in the
last week of October. I have liked the

2

results on greens this year. I am considering increasing the rates next year.
David Mucciarone:
We treat everything here with Primo.
On the greens, we switched to weekly
applications at the .1 oz rate as we
were experiencing flushes of growth
with bi-weekly applications last year.
We’ve been happy with the results and
don’t plan to change next year.
Eric Richardson:
We used Primo Maxx at .125 ozs
every 12 days on greens. We also
used a Proxy/Primo mix for seedhead
control. The 12 day interval works well
for us and we manage the turf on the
dry side and very lean, so we don’t see
a flush of growth even if the Primo
wears off before 12 days. I don’t plan
to change this program next season.
continued on page 4

CALENDAR
Nov. 14

GCSAA Seminars
“Landscape Color on the
Golf Course: From the
Ground Up”
Host: Richard Zepp, CGCS
Cyprian Keyes Golf Club
Boylston, MA

Nov. 15

GCSAA Seminars
“Cutting Costs, Not Corners
During Renovation”
Host: Richard Zepp, CGCS
Cyprian Keyes Golf Club
Boylston, MA

Dec. 4

GCSANE Monthly Meeting
Franklin Country Club
Franklin, MA
Host: Michael Luccini, CGCS

Jan. 8

GCSANE Annual Meeting
Andover Country Club
Andover, MA
Host: Wayne LaCroix, CGCS

Jan.
2008
TBA

GCSANE Holiday Party
Location TBD

Jan. 28 Feb. 2
2008

Golf Industry Show
Orlando, Florida

Choosing Grasses for Un-Mowed Roughs
By Tom Voigt, University of Illinois
For more than 15 years, several
graduate students and I have managed demonstrations and research
studies with the overall goal of looking
for plants that can work in un-mowed
rough areas, Originally, these projects
looked at native species such as big
bluestem, lndiangrass, switchgrass,
and side-oats grama that would reduce
labor, increase biodiversity, and
enhance the golfing experience by
improving course appearance and
defining areas. We’ve also looked at
un-mowed exotic turfgrasses such as
tall fescue, Timothy, and redtop knowing that these grasses can be easily
established and managed. Most
recently, based on superintendent
requests, we’ve been looking at
grasses, primarily blue grama and
buffalograss, with the goal of creating
roughs that can be both un-mowed
and playable.
This article summarizes our up-to
date findings for these projects and is
intended to address common questions and concerns about using
grasses in un-mowed roughs. Important plant characteristics include
height, appearance, ease of establishment, and maintenance.
Also, consider the appropriate
growing environments and if the
grasses are suitable for creating a
playable rough. In this article, the
grasses have been divided into three
sections – exotic, cool-season turf and
utility grasses, tall native grasses, and
short native grasses.
Exotic Cool-Season Turf
and Utility Grasses
Exotic turf and utility grasses are
often planted in un-mowed roughs.
In our work, we’ve examined redtop,
orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerate),
tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), fine
fescue (F. spp.), and Timothy (Phleum
pratense). In addition, at some golf
courses, mowing is stopped in previously mowed areas and the existing
turfgrasses are allowed to grow. Often
times, bentgrass (Agrostis spp.) and
bluegrasses (Poa spp.) are present in
these settings.
The advantages of using these turf

and utility grasses are that the areas
are easy to establish and maintain;
the seed is inexpensive and readily
available; the areas can be attractive,
especially early in the growing season
when these cool-season species
flower; and the fescues and
orchardgrass have moderate shade
tolerance. For out-of-play far roughs
requiring taller plantings, combinations
of orchardgrass, tall fescue, and
Timothy are planted. Fine fescues are
often used in areas where a shorter
planting is desired.
Treat as turfgrasses and plant in
late summer - you can usually expect
a mature stand by the end of the first
growing season and flowering starting
in the late spring or early summer of
the second growing season. Plantings
of these grasses should be mowed
at least once a year, usually in late
summer or early autumn. The areas
will probably perform best over the
long haul if clippings are removed
after mowing. Control weeds in these
areas using turf herbicides.
The disadvantages of these
grasses are that they are not suited for
producing playable roughs – they generally grow too densely, even when
planted at low seeding rates. Also,
these areas may become unattractive
in mid-to-late summer when the
grasses can brown and go dormant.
Some may lodge or mat down after
flowering.
Redtop (Agrostis alba) is typically
low growing (to 18” in flower) and is
particularly attractive when it produces
its pink-red seedheads in late spring/
early summer. It can become coarse
textured and stemmy when un-mowed.
Redtop is well adapted to full sun and
soils with moderate moisture levels to
moist soils. It can be combined with
tall fescue and other coarse-textured
utility grasses. Plant seeds at 10 - 25
pounds per acre in a monoculture.
Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata)
is a tall (to 3.5’), coarse grass; its
seedheads are not particularly attractive, but contrast nicely with Timothy
and tall fescue seedheads when
mixed. Orchardgrass grows well in
full sun to moderately shaded sites in
moist, loamy soils; combine it with tall

3

fescue and Timothy in savanna-like
out-of-play areas. Plant seeds at 20 40 pounds per acre in a monoculture.
Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea)
is a moderately attractive grass that
is easily established from seed. Tall
fescue can reach 4’ tall (but normally
grows to less than 3’) and is much
more coarse-textured than the fine
fescues. ‘Kentucky 31’ is an older,
pasture-type grass characterized by
coarse, yellow-green foliage and is
often used as a utility species. There
are many newer, turf-type cultivars
with medium-coarse, darker green
foliage. It is very tolerant of most soils
and can be grown in full sun to light
shade. Tall fescue can be combined
with redtop, orchard grass, and
Timothy. It tends to remain more
erect than the fine fescues. Plant
seeds at 160-300 pounds per acre in
a monoculture.
Fine fescues (F. spp.) are probably
the most widely planted cool-season
grass in un-mowed, out-of-play Midwestern roughs. Flowering in late
spring and growing to 2.5’, these
grasses are hard to beat for attractive,
links-like appeal. The group includes
the Chewings, hard, sheep, and creeping red fecues; all have bunch-type
growth except the rhizomatous creeping red types. Unfortunately, many fine
fescues become dormant and lodge
in mid-to-late summer and loose much
of the earlier season’s appeal. These
grasses are well adapted to full sun to
light shade and to dry, infertile, noncompacted soils. Mix several different
types and avoid planting in sites with
heavy, wet, compacted soils. Plant
seed at 80 -160 pounds per acre in a
monoculture.
Timothy (Phleum pratense), like
orchardgrass, is a tall (3.5’), coarse
grass; its seedhead initially resemble
fuzz-less green foxtail, but dry to a
dark, dirty brown. It is best grown in
full sun to light shade in fertile, moist
soils. Grow with orchard grass and tall
fescue in far out-of-play areas. Plant
seed at 20 - 4 pounds per acre in a
monoculture.

Continued on page 5

Peer to Peer - continued from page 2

The 2007 Season
What was your biggest challenge this
season and how did you manage or
overcome this challenge?
Pat Daly:
In 2007 we were challenged with green
speeds and crabgrass.
We treated for crabgrass preventatively in the spring and the results were
disappointing. We tried to control with
both Q4 and Drive and found the Q4 to
be a superior product. We slice
seeded all of the areas that were affected and I am considering applying
Barricade this fall for 2008. Green
speeds were addressed by aggressively verticutting (every other week)
and lightly topdressing with bagged
sand (every week) from late July until
early October. We also lowered the
height of cut on greens during that
time. The club purchased the Flex 18
for greens replacing the GM 500 in
August. The club has since been
happy with the green speeds. I am
looking forward to seeing how 2008
will turn out.

David Mucciarone:
Our biggest challenge was meeting the
membership’s request for faster green
speeds and firmer conditions. So we
tightened up the turf all around. We
mowed fairways lower and kept them
dryer and the membership was extremely happy – I had zero complaints
about the fairways. We did not lower
the height of cut on the greens, but we
did step up some of our cultural programs. We aerated the greens in the
spring and topdressed heavily. This
was followed by alternating verticutting
and grooming each week. On top of
that, we lightly topdressed every two
weeks. We mow greens 7 days a
week and roll them 4 times per week.
In the past, we had to double cut frequently or even cut the greens twice a
day to get the speeds we needed.
However, this year we easily kept the
speeds in the 10 to 10.5 foot range
and ramped them up to 11 or more for
tournaments – again, without having to
lower the height of cut. Looking back,
the membership was very pleased with
our green speeds this year.

4

Eric Richardson:
Water, water, water - or lack of it.
From mid May to mid September, we
received only 2.25” of rain – most of
that from two quick thunderstorms.
We are limited by the capacity of the
irrigation pond, which is recharged by
a well. By the time September rolled
around, I was only able to use 20,000
gallons per night. It seems like we had
8 or 9 crew members hand watering
every day until the drought conditions
broke in mid-September. I was able to
offset some of the manpower devoted
to hand watering by reducing mowing
frequency of the fairways. Bottom line
though, the course played great and
the members enjoyed the dry, firm and
fast conditions as a result of the lack of
rain.
Thanks to Pat, David and Eric for
sharing their insights this month. If you
are interested in participating in a
future “peer to peer” column, or have
ideas on some interesting topics,
please contact me at
mgagne@walpolecc.com.

Choosing Grasses - continued from page 3

Tall Native Grasses
Tall native grass species are
sometimes planted in out-of-play
roughs and include big bluestem,
switchgrass, Indiangrass, and
cordgrass. These grasses are all warm
-season species and typically reach 5’
or taller. They can be used to separate
fairways and define other golf course
areas. Each of these grasses is rhizomatous, but normally, only cordgrass
spreads aggressively.
Advantages of these grasses are
that they are all Midwestern natives
and have evolved in this environment
and with local pests. Seed for big
bluestem, Indiangrass, and switchgrass is relatively inexpensive and
readily available; cordgrass rhizomes
are also available. Areas planted to
these grasses can add to the biodiversity of the course by attracting insects
and birds. Finally the grasses can be
attractive, especially in mid-to-late
summer when the grasses are blooming and then later when some of them
develop interesting fall color.
There are several downsides to
these grasses. First and foremost, tall
native grasses are slow to establish,
and the plantings are usually unattractive during the establishment period.
Typically, it takes until the third
growing season for the areas to look
established. During years one and

two, the plantings need to be mowed
(usually 4” during year one and 6” in
year two) to combat weeds while the
natives are developing. Another concern is that after establishment, some
golfers may object to the appearance
considering it to be messy, unkempt,
or boring – plantings of grasses only
often lack the striking visual interest
of areas containing flowering broadleaf
plants. Finally, these areas are tall and
dense-growing, and thus, definitely not
playable roughs.
Once established, plantings of tall
native grasses require low-to-moderate
maintenance; periodic burning or
mowing is required to remove the
dead above ground portions of the
plants. Weed control, while sometimes
necessary, is minimized due to the
established heights of these grasses.
Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
is a tall, upright, open or arching
grass that grows best in full sun and
well-drained, moist soils, but will tolerate very moist sites, as well as drought
after establishment. The blue-green
foliage becomes reddish-purple to
rusty brown at frost and the flowers
are moderately showy and resemble a
turkey foot. Grow with the tall grass
species in far out-of-play areas. Plant
seeds at 10 -15 pounds per acre in a
monoculture.
Switchgrass (Panic-um virgatum)
can be very attractive during the
second half of the growing season
when it produces large panicles and
develops a clear yellow fall color. It
is usually found in moist areas in full

sun. There are many ornamental
cultivars (e.g., ‘Heavy Metal’ and
‘Rostrahlbusch’) available for planting
in managed landscapes. Grow with
the tall grass species in far out-of-play
areas. Plant seeds at 5 - 8 pounds per
acre in a monoculture.
Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)
grows upright and forms large clumps.
The late-summer flowers
are attractive, starting out yellow
before fading to dirty gold. During
the season, the foliage is blue-green
and becomes bronze, yellow, or rusty
orange in fall. Grow in full sun; it is
soil tolerant, but prefers some moisture
and will tolerate drought after
establishment. Plant seeds at 10-15
pounds per acre in a monoculture.
Cordgrass (Spartina pectinata) is
also known as slough-grass and ripgut
grass (due to the sharply serrated leaf
margins). Its flowers are probably
the least attractive of these four tall
grasses, but the light green foliage
turns yellow in autumn. Grow in full
sun in moist-to-wet sites. It is difficult
to establish from seed; plant rhizomes
1.5 to 3’ apart.
Short Native Grasses
Several shorter native grasses are
also available for un-mowed roughs
including side-oats grama, blue
grama, buffalograss, little bluestem,
and prairie dropseed. All of these
warm-season grasses are less than
4’ tall, native to the Midwest or Great
Plains, grow in full sun, and grow in
soils with dry-to average moisture
levels. Side-oats grama, blue grama,
buffalograss, and little bluestem can
all be established from seed. Blue
grama and combinations of blue
grama and buffalo-grass show promise
for planting into areas where a
playable un-mowed rough is desired.
The advantages and disadvantages
of these species are similar to those
of their taller associates – they are
attractive and can provide environmental benefits when established.
Blue grama germinates relatively
quickly for a native, providing as
much as 75% cover at the end of the
initial growing season. The other
grasses in this group grow more
slowly and typically are unattractive
during the first two growing seasons,
when they will need to be mowed
regularly to reduce competition from
Continued on page 6

5

Choosing Grasses - continued from page 5

weeds. General maintenance on these
species includes periodic burning or
mowing to remove the dead, aboveground portions of the plants and
weed control.
Side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) is interesting and attractive
in mid-to-late summer when in flower.
This grass is too tall for playable,
un-mowed roughs and is great in
combination with other warm-season
grasses such as blue grama, little
bluestem, purple lovegrass, and prairie
dropseed. It can be seeded or
plugged: plant seeds at 10-15 pounds
per acre in a monoculture; plant plugs
approximately 1’ apart.
Blue Grama (Bouteloua gradlis),

along with buffalo-grass, are the
species we’re currently examining for
use as playable roughs. Blue grama is
a bunch-type, gray-green grass, with
foliage that grows to 1’ and with eyebrow-shaped, purplish flowers that
reach to 2’ in late summer. The foliage
is open and short enough to find errant
golf shots and to put a club on the
ball to hit out. For a playable rough,
grow alone or with buffalograss.
Seed in late spring at 20 pounds of
seed per acre in a monoculture or
10 pounds per acre when mixed
with buffalograss.
Buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides)
is a stoloniferous gray-green grass
that grows 8 -10” tall. It is extremely
drought and heat tolerant. Plant in full
sun in loamy soils with blue grama.
Multiple seeds are contained within

burs of this slow-to-germinate species.
Plant 40 pounds of buffalograss burs
per acre with 10 -15 pounds of blue
grama seed.
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium
scoparium) is slow to start growing
in the spring, but is a star at the other
end of the growing season when it
becomes a brilliant rusty-red at the
onset of cool autumn conditions.
It should be massed, or planted with
other short, prairie species such as
side-oats grama, blue grama, little
bluestem, purple lovegrass, and prairie
dropseed. Plant 10-15 pounds of seed
per acre in a monoculture.
Credit: On Course. Publication
of the Midwest Association of GCS.
August 2007.

Red Sox Fever Alive in Rockport

Bill Yanakakis of Rockport Golf Club shows off his artistic side with his
interpretation of the Red Sox logo. Bill said, “I had some extra red paint and
decided to show my support for the Red Sox by painting their logo on my
driving range. The members are loving it and there have been many photos
taken so far. Go Sox!” We wonder if Bill’s enthusiasm for the Sox had anything to do with their World Series sweep?
6

Request for Applications:
IPM Partnership Grants for the Northeast
The Northeastern Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) Center is pleased
to announce the availability of funding
through its IPM Partnership Grants
Program for 2008. A Request for Applications (RFA) is posted on the
Center’s website at
http://NortheastIPM.org/
about_fund.cfm .
Approximately $300,000 is available to support projects that will address or develop regional IPM priorities
and will further the mission of the
Northeastern IPM Center ( http://
ortheastIPM.org/ ).
The Center is seeking applications
for six project types:
(1) IPM Working Groups
(2) IPM Issues
(3) Regional IPM Publications
(4) IPM Planning and Assessment
Documents (Tactics Surveys, Crop
Profiles, Pest Management Strategic
Plans, and IPM Guidelines)

(5) State Network Projects
(6) IPM Minigrants
This year the IPM Partnership
Grants Program particularly encourages extension proposals and projects
involving underserved urban populations, small states, 1890 institutions,
environmental groups and other nongovernmental organizations, and the
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
The IPM Partnership Grants RFA
places emphasis on the impacts of
proposed projects. Applicants are
asked to consider potential real-world
outcomes associated with their project
objectives and to develop a plan for
evaluating whether impacts have
occurred.
ELIGIBILITY: Private individuals, public and private institutions or organizations, businesses, and commodity
groups are encouraged to apply. The
primary project director must be from
the northeastern region.

UMass Alumni Turf Group Holds
4th Annual Troll Turf Classic
th

The 4 annual Joseph Troll Turf Classic was held on a beautiful fall day on October 1st at The International in Bolton, Mass.
Over 150 players enjoyed excellent playing
conditions on both the Oaks and the Pines
courses, which were prepared by host superintendents and UMass alumni Richard
Bator (’65) and Brett Johnson, CGCS (’95).
Golf Course Architect Geoffrey Cornish
(’50) was honored for his contributions to
the golf world and for his efforts over the
years in furthering the UMass Turf Program.
Mr. Cornish, ASGCA Past President,
has designed more courses in New England than anyone in history. He and his
associates have designed 240 golf courses
in the United States, Canada and Europe.
In addition, he has contributed 50 years of
research, writing, and teaching on the art of
golf course design. Also in attendance
were GCSAA President Ricky Heine, and
past honorees, Ted Horton and Dr. Joseph
Troll. This year’s event raised over
$35,000 for turf research at UMass, which
will be donated at the 2008 UMass Field
Day. Last year, the Alumni Turf Group
donated $40,000 for the cause and when
combined with a University matching grant

program, the total climbed to $60,000. The
Alumni Turf Group would like to thank all of
the participants for what was a very successful event and a great opportunity to
see and visit with fellow UMass alumni.
We would also like to offer a
special thanks to this year’s sponsors:
Premier Sponsor: Tom Irwin, Co.
Gold Level Sponsors: Bayer Environmental, Phoenix Environmental and Turf
Products Corporation.
Silver Level Sponsors: BASF, Charles Hart
Seed/Grigg Brothers, DAF, Inc., Lesco,
S.V. Moffett, Co., Syngenta, and Turflinks.
Hole Sponsors: Aquatrols, Connecticut
GCSA, Garry Crothers, and Red Sky Associates
The Alumni Turf Group (ATG), formed
in 2005, is made up of turf professionals
who are graduates of the Stockbridge
School of Agriculture and the University of
Massachusetts. The Alumni Turf Group’s
mission is to:
• Use our fundraising capabilities through
the distribution of funds, to enhance
and further research and education at the
University of Massachusetts.
• Promote UMass alumni in the turf management profession.

7

DEADLINE: The original and fourteen
(14) double-sided paper copies of each
proposal must be received by the
Northeastern IPM Center by 5:00 p.m.
on Friday, December 7, 2007. See the
complete RFA for full submission instructions. If you have questions or
need paper copies of the RFA, please
contact grants manager John Ayers,
Co-director of the Northeastern IPM
Center, The Pennsylvania State University (phone 814-865-7776; email
jea@psu.edu).

Tuckahoe Turf Farms
Richmond, RI
West Suffield, CT
Berwick, ME

For home lawns.
For gardens.
For athletic
fields.
For parks & playgrounds.
For golf course construction,
renovation and repairs.
Kentucky Bluegrass, Ryegrass,
Fine Fescues, Bentgrass
Pallets/Big Rolls.
Sod handler Del.
Roll Out Service.
Over 35 years of
turf production.
Deliveries Monday through
Saturday
CALL TOLL FREE

1—800-556-6985
See our web site
www.tuckahoeturf.com

• Recognize the achievements of successful individual alumni through annual events.
• Provide a directory of active turf alumni.
• Provide reunion opportunities.
• Instill pride and commitment in the turf
programs at the University of
Massachusetts.
Source: Alumni Turf Group Press Release

Scenes from the 2007 Troll Classic, The International, October 2nd, 2007
Photo credit: Michael Stachowicz

(Left to Right) GCSAA Director Jim Fitzroy, GCSAA President Ricky
Heine, Geoffrey Cornish, UMass Associate Dean Steve Goodwin,
ATG President Steve Curry

(Left to Right) Golf Course Architects Brian Silva, Geoffrey
Cornish, Mark Mungeam

(Left to Right) GCSANE President Russell Heller and
Steve Goodwin

(Left to Right) Ricky Heine and Geoffrey Cornish

(Left to Right) Stockbridge School, class of 1958: Bob Vierra
(formerly supt. at Watertown CC, CT) David McCarthy (formerly supt.
at the Hyannisport Club), Ron Kirkman (semi-retired?, Needham Golf
Club), John Petraitis (formerly supt., Crestwood CC)

(Left to Right) UMass Professor Emeritus Joe Troll and
Mark Mungeam

8

DIVOT DRIFT... announcements ... educational seminars ... job opportunities
...tournament results...and miscellaneous items of interest to the membership.
MEMBERSHIP
Welcome New Members:
Gregory Caron, Assistant, Hatherly CC
Daniel Fuller, Affiliate, BISCO
Proposed New Member:
Jedd Newsome, Superintendent,
Tekoa CC, Agawam, MA

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Congratulations to Nathaniel and Sara
Mitkowski on the recent birth of their
daughter Sadie.
All members are encouraged to contact Julie Heston to announce new
arrivals so that we may purchase a
savings bond in recognition of their
birth. Phone: (401) 934-3677 or
jheston@verizon.net
Congratulations to Jim Small and his
wife Kathleen on their recent marriage.

Our condolences are extended to
Scott Reynolds and family on the
passing of Scott’s father Donald
Reynolds in October.
Our condolences are extended to
Daniel Shay (Wilbraham Country Club)
and family whose father James F Shay
passed away recently.
Congratulations to Jim Santoro on his
new position with Valent. Here is Jim's
new contact information.
Jim Santoro, Territory Manager
Valent USA
294 Archer St
Fall River, MA 02720
Cell 508-207-2094 (new)
Office 508-679-4797
fax 508-674-6979
email jim.santoro@valent.com
As in the past, The Newsletter continues to invite Affiliate members to
submit a press release about new
personnel, new products or a company
bio. We will print such releases on a
space available basis.

GOLF RESULTS
MET Area Team Championship
October 22nd
Beth Page State Park – The Black
Course
Anchored by the pair of Mike
Hermanson and Jim Small who shot
an even par 71, team GCSANE finished 10th overall with a team score of
30 over par. 8 players representing 14
associations from throughout the
northeast and mid-atlantic region competed with the winning team from the
Connecticut GCSA posting an unbelievable team score of 1 over par.

GCSAA WEB CASTS
11/13/07 11/29/07 12/05/07 -

Rules of Golf 12:00 pm
Purchasing Technology with
Confidence 2:00 pm
Financial Management and
Budgeting 12:00 pm

Visit www.gcsaa.org for more information

GCSANE Friends and Affiliates
“End of the Season” Advertising Special
Purchase 2 (two) Full Page ads in The Newsletter
for $600 total price.
This is a 60% savings on the original price of $500 per issue.
This offer is good for the
September, October, November and December 2007 issues.
We offer full color for all ads.
Please contact Julie Heston, Business Manager at
(401) 934-3677 or jheston@verizon.net to reserve your space.

9

Please Patronize these FRIENDS of the ASSOCIATION
A.A. Will Materials Corp.

DAF Services, Inc.

Ken Jones Tire, Inc.

Sports Club Management, Inc.

198 Washington St., Stoughton, MA 02072-1748

20 Lawnacre Rd., Windsor Locks, CT 06096
Irrigation pumps - sales & service; northeast
warehouse/distributor for ISCO HDPE pipe &
fittings.
Richard Young - (860) 623-5207

71-73 Chandler St., Worcester, MA 01613
Distributor of tires for lawn & garden, trucks,
cars, industrial equipment, and golf cars.
Gerry Jones - (508) 755-5255

104 Wyman Rd., Braintree, MA 02184
OSHA and EPA compliance services & training.
Ron Smith - (781) 848-5978

Root zone mixes, divot mixes, topdressing blends,
bunker sands, cart path mixes, bridging stone, &
hardscape supplies.
Charlie Downing, Ed Downing (800) 4-AA-WILL

A.D. Makepeace Co.
158 Tihonet Road, Wareham, MA 02571
(508) 322-4092

Agresource, Inc.
100 Main St., Amesbury, MA 01913
Tim Gould, Guy Travers
(800) 313-3320, (978) 388-5110

Stumps Are Us Inc.
Larchmont Engineering & Irrigation

DGM Systems

11 Larchmont Lane, Lexington, MA 02420-4483
Kevin Rudat - (781) 862-2550

1 Snagwood Rd., Foster, RI 02825
Your New England specialty products distributor: Reelcraft, POK, Allen, Kenyon, Echo,
Carhartt
Office - (401) 647-0550
Manny Mihailides - (401) 524-8999
David Mihailides - (401) 742-1177

Lazaro’s Golf Course Supplies &
Accessories
dba Hammond Paint and Chemical Co., Inc.
738 Main St., Suite 223, Waltham, MA 02154
Complete line of golf course accessories;
Standard, Par Aide, Eagle One.
Joe Lazaro - (781) 647-3361

DHT Golf Services
Allen’s Seed Store, Inc.
693 S. County Trail, Exeter, Rl 02822
Specializing in quality seed and related golf
course maintenance supplies.
Gregg Allen - (800) 527-3898
Michelle Maltais - (401) 835-0287

dba Weed & Feed, Inc.
8 Meadow Park Road, Plymouth, MA 02360
Golf course renovation & construction in all
areas: bunkers, tees, greens, drainage, irrigation, & cart paths.
Dahn Tibbett, Chip Brearley - (508) 746-3222

The Andersons Technologies, Inc.

D.L. Maher Co.

26 Waite Ave., S. Hadley, MA 01075
Manufacturer of fertilizer & control products.
Rick Forni - (413) 534-8896

71 Concord St., P. O. Box 127, N. Reading, MA
01864

Atlantic Silica, Inc.
P.O. Box 10, Enfield N.S. B2T 1C6 Canada
(902) 883-3020

A-OK Turf Equipment Inc.
1357 Main St., Coventry, RI 02816-8435
Articulator, Terra Topper, Greens Groomer brush,
& used equipment.
Mike Cornicelli - (401) 826-2584

Barenbrug USA
Great in Grass
166 Juniper Drive, North Kingstown, RI 02852
Bruce Chapman, Territory Manager
(401) 578-2300

BASF Turf & Ornamental
47 Falmouth Rd., Longmeadow, MA 01106
Emerald, Insignia, Pendulum AquaCap, Curalan,
Drive, Basagran, Iprodione Pro, Propiconazole
Pro, Bifenthrin Pro, Plateau, Sahara.
John Bresnahan - (413) 374-4102

The Borden Company
114 Summer St., Maynard, MA 01754
Bulk limestone dealer.
Jack Borden - (978) 897-2571

Boston Irrigation Supply Co. (BISCO)
60 Stergis Way, Dedham, MA 02026
Distributor, irrigation supplies & accessories,
featuring Rain Bird.
Andrew Langlois, Jay Anderson III, Dan Fuller,
Jeff Brown, Greg Hennessy, Chris Russo
(800) 225-8006

Lesco, Inc.
1301 E. 9th St., Ste. 1300, Cleveland, OH 44114
Ron Tumiski - (800) 321-5325

McNulty Construction Corp.
P. O. Box 3218, Framingham, MA 01705
Asphalt paving of cart paths, walkways, parking
areas; imprinted asphalt.
John McNulty - (508) 879-8875

Water supply specialists; wells & pumping
equipment. (781) 933-3210

Miller Golf Construction
P.O. Box 1008, Essex, MA 01929
Golf course construction & renovation.
Jonathon Miller - (978) 768-6600

Michael Drake Construction, Inc.
240 Walnut St., Framingham, MA 01702
Golf course reconstruction; professional shaper.
Michael Drake - (508) 875-8247

NMP Golf Construction Corp.

EZGO golf and utility vehicles.
Doug Hopper - (800) 234-0474

25 Bishop Ave., Ste. A-2, Williston, VT 05495
Golf course construction.
Mario Poirier - (888) 707-0787

G. Fialkosky Lawn Sprinklers

Norfolk Power Equipment, Inc.

E-Z-GO/Textron

5 Cushing Dr., Wrentham, MA 02093
Sales, service, rentals, leasing, Kubota tractors
(508) 384-0011

91 Freeman St., Newton, MA 02466
Irrigation services to golf courses throughout
New England. Gary Fialkosky - (617) 293-8632

Northeast Golf Company

Gold Star Tree & Turf Farm, LLC
250 West Rd., Canterbury, NH 03224-2127
Growers of turfgrass and ornamentals.
Malcolm McPhail - (800) 648-8873;
Canterbury Office - (603) 783-4717

Golf Course Architectural/Consultation Services
118 Beauchamp Drive, Saunderstown, RI 02874
Robert McNeil (401) 667-4994

Golf Cart Services, Inc.

20 Wenham St., Danvers, MA 01923
Hydroseeding, erosion control, & tree services.
Brian King - (978) 762-8737

North Shore Hydroseeding

275 Wells St., Greenfield, MA 01301
Club Car golf, turf, transportation, & utility cars.
James Bernier - (800) 287-0955

On-Course Golf Inc., Design/Build
16 Maple Street, Acton, MA 01720
We serve all your remodeling and renovation
needs. You can trust your project with us!
We make you look good!
Sean Hanley (978) 337-6661

GPS New England Mapping
39 Cedar St., Cohasset, MA 02025
Precise irrigation & drainage as-builts; wire
tracking & electrical repairs.
Greg Albanese - (781) 789-1166

Partac Peat Corporation

Gustavo Preston Service Company

Kelsey Park, Great Meadows, NJ 07838
Heat treated topdressing, golf hole targets, turf
blankets, other specialty golf supplies.
Jim Kelsey - (800) 247-2326

166 River Rd., PO Box 520, Unionville, CT 06085

10 Kidder Road, Unit 8, Chelmsford, MA 01824
Flowtronex irrigation pumps - sales and service.
Spring start ups, winterization and 24 hour
emergency service for all irrigation pumps.
Ed Ceaser (978) 250-3333 or

Golf course and landscape supplies.
John Callahan, Dennis Friel - (800) 861-6256

Harrell’s Turf Specialty LLC

Cavicchio Landscape Supply, Inc.

15 Londonderry Rd., Londonderry, NH 03053
Turf & ornamental supplies.
Chuck Bramhall, Mike Kroian, Mike Nagle,
Jim Wierzbicki - (800) 228-6656

90 Elm St., Hopkinton, MA 01748
Underground water, sewer, & drain pipe and
fittings-Erosion and sediment control material. 24
-hour service.
David Putnam, Eli Potty - (508) 435-3090

The Cardinals, Inc.

110 Codjer Lane, Sudbury, MA 01776
Annuals, perennials, garden mums, ground
covers, loam, & mulch.
Darren Young - (978) 443-7177

Charles C. Hart Seed Co., Inc.
304 Main St., Wethersfield, CT 06109
Authorized distributor for Bayer, Syngenta, Grigg
Bros., Foliar Fertilizer, & Aquatrols.
Roy Sibley, Dick Gurski, Robin Hayes (800) 326-HART

Cornish, Silva, & Mungeum, Inc.
207 N. Main St., Uxbridge, MA 01569
Golf course architects.
(508) 278-3407

Country Club Enterprises
PO Box 670, 29 Tobey Rd.,W.Wareham, MA 02676

Club Car golf cars, Carryall utility vehicles.
Dave Farina, Darin Eddy, Keith Tortorella (800) 662-2585

Putnam Pipe Corp.

Read Custom Soils

Hartney Greymont

125 Turnpike St., Canton, MA 02021
Custom soil blending, top dressing sands, root
zone blends, divot & cart path mixes.
Terry Driscoll, Garrett Whitney - (888) 475-5526

433 Chestnut St., Needham, MA 02492
Tree care, landscape construction, consulting.
Mark Tobin - (781) 444-1227

Holliston Sand Co., Inc.

R.F. Morse & Son, Inc.

P. O. Box 1168, Tifft Rd., Slatersville, RI 02876
USGA-recommended sands, root-zone mixes,
bunker & topdressing, agresoil compost, stonedust, & pea-stone
Bob Chalifour, CGCS (ret.) - (401) 766-5010

22 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham, MA 02576
Professional goods, services, & John Deere
equipment for the golf course industry.
Larry Anshewitz, Mike Hannigan, Tom Rowell,
Ren Wilkes, John Winskowicz - (508) 295-1553

International Golf Construction Co.

Sodco Inc.

5 Purcell Rd., Arlington, MA 02474
Golf course construction.
Antonios Paganis - (781) 648-2351;
(508) 428-3022

P. O. Box 2, Slocum, Rl 02877
Bluegrass/Fescue, Bluegrass/Rye, Bluegrass/
Fescue/Rye, Bentgrass.
Sean Moran, Pat Hogan - (800) 341-6900

Irrigation Management & Services

Southwest Putting Greens of Boston

21 Lakeview Ave., Natick, MA 01760
Irrigation consultation, design, and system
evaluation. Bob Healey, ASIC, CID (508) 653-0625

P.O. Box 827, Westford, MA 01886
Synthetic turf, tee lines, practice greens, outdoor
and indoor practice facilities.
Douglas Preston - (978) 250-5996

10

Manchester, NH
Professional stump chipping service.
Brendan McQuade - (603) 625-4165

S.V. Moffett Co., Inc.
87 Concord Street, North Reading, MA 01864
Rain Bird Golf irrigation distributor.
Mark Casey (617) 990-2427 (Eastern MA & Boston);
Bob Hobbs (603) 833-0309 (NH & ME);
Chris Francis (413) 519-8585 (Western MA and VT)

Syngenta Professional Products
1131-0 Tolland Turnpike, Suite 261,
Manchester, CT 06040
Bob Goglia (860) 716-0315

Tee & Green Sod
A Division of New England Turf
P. O. Box 777, West Kingston, RI 02892
Bentgrass, Blue/Fescue mixes, Bluegrass, Low
Cut Bluegrass and complete installation services
Dave Wallace, Scott McLeod, Ernie Ketchum (888) 638-4657

Tom Irwin Inc.
11 A St., Burlington, MA 01803
Turf management products.
Jack Petersen, Paul Skafas, Rob Larson, Chris
Petersen, Greg Misodoulakis, Mike DeForge
(800) 582-5959

Tree Tech, Inc.
6 Springbrook Rd., Foxbvoro, MA 02035
Foxboro, Wellesley, Fall River
Andy Felix - (508) 543-5644

Tuckahoe Turf Farms, Inc.
P. O. Box 167, Wood River Junction, Rl 02894
Chris Beasley - (800) 556-6985

Turf Enhancement Enterprises
6 Jessica J Dr., Millbury, MA 01527
Floratine products, Precision Small Engine Co.,
Douglas Rollers, Trion Lifts.
Tom Fox - (508) 865-9150

TurfLinks, Inc.
16 Kane Industrial Dr., Hudson, MA 01749
Distributor of quality fertilzer, grass seed, &
control products for the golf course industry.
Kevin Lyons, Scott Mackintosh, Jim Favreau (866) 567-9221

TurfNet Associates, lnc.
21 Brandywine Rd., Skillman, NJ 08558
Cutting edge communication for the golf course
industry.
Peter McCormick - (800) 314-7929

Turf Products Corp.
157 Moody Rd., Enfield, CT 06082
Distributors of Toro irrigation & maintenance
equipment and other golf-related products. Tim
Berge, Rick Moulton, Jeff Stouffer, Mike Turner (800) 243-4355

Valley Green
14 Copper Beech Drive, Kingston, MA 02364
Phone: 413-533-0726 Fax: 413-533-0792
"Wholesale distributor of turf products"

Varney Bros. Sand & Gravel
79 Hartford Ave., Bellingham, MA 02019
Concrete golf cart paths.
Kenneth Mooradian - (800) 441-7373

Winding Brook Turf Farm
Wethersfield, CT 06109
Scott Wheeler, Mike Krudwig, Sam Morgan (800) 243-0232

Philip Wogan & George F. Sargent, Jr.
17 Walker Rd., Topsfield, MA 01983
Golf course architects.
(978) 887-3672